Allowing employers to bring their own devices for work can create complications for… more

Eric Hood

Employers, meanwhile, avoid the cost of those devices.

But Barbara Ellis, a Wichita-area account executive for Joplin, Mo.-based Heartland Technology Solutions, says there are several issues for employers to consider before embracing BYOD:

• What will you support?

If an employee is using a device for work, there could be an expectation that the company’s IT service has to solve any problems that might crop up on the device, Ellis says.

Often with company-owned devices, there’s some standardization across departments, but with individually owned devices, everyone could be running a different operating system or version, she says.

“They might bring in whatever might be on sale, or what their friend has,” Ellis says. “That makes support very difficult.”

Some employers get around this by only offering support to certain types of devices, she says.

• Is it secure?

The potential for security compromises grows when devices not owned by the company are added to the mix.

Ellis says it’s possible for an employee to log on to the network with a device that has a virus, which could cause harm to the network.

Employers can take steps to prevent this, however, like setting up pre-login checks. Employees whose antivirus software isn’t current, for example, wouldn’t be able to log on, she says.

Another concern arises if a device containing company information is lost or stolen, she says. Employers have to consider whether to ask staff to set up locks on devices. A lock, if it’s set up in advance, can be activated remotely to prevent an outsider from accessing information.

• Are employees focused on work?

When an employee is doing work on a personal device, personal distractions are likely to creep in, Ellis says.

Many people have their personal phones or tablets set to alert them when they have, say, a Facebook message or personal email. Even in the middle of the work day, it’s easy to turn attention to those non-work-related alerts.

“Employees tend to see it as, ‘This is my device. I don’t care if I’m on company time,’” she says.

Company-owned devices are easier to regulate because employers can limit the programs installed or the websites available.

If an employee is using a personal device on the company network, some restrictions are possible, Ellis says, but it gets more complicated.

Ellis says most employers she works with don’t have formal BYOD policies, but she suspects that will be changing soon.

CIO.com, a website for chief information officers, has compiled a variety of resources to help employers make decisions about BYOD.